Zohran Mamdani’s surprise victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has raised questions about the party’s political direction and ideological cohesion. As the most prominent socialist to win a major citywide election, Mamdani’s platform has sparked deepening concerns among establishment Democrats, with former Clinton advisor Mark Penn warning of a ‘9-1-1 moment’ for the party. His campaign’s focus on progressive policies, including eliminating transit fares, providing free municipal housing, and ending ICE operations in the city, has been criticized as too extreme by many within the party’s leadership.
Penn, a senior strategist for President Bill Clinton and CEO of Stagwell Inc., expressed his alarm during an appearance on Fox News’ ‘America’s Newsroom.’ He called Mamdani an ‘anti-Semitic socialist,’ citing his refusal to denounce the controversial slogan ‘globalize the intifada,’ which is widely understood as carrying anti-Semitic undertones. ‘This is a 9-1-1 moment for the Democratic Party,’ Penn said, warning that Mamdani’s victory could signal a potential split within the party between its progressive wing and the establishment. He argued that the election has exposed an ideological divide, with many top New York Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, yet to endorse Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul remaining noncommittal.
Penn criticized Mamdani’s strategy, which he claims has been to frame the race as a battle against Donald Trump rather than focusing on the city’s future. ‘It’s absolutely essential here that this not become Mamdani versus Trump,’ he said. ‘That’s his strategy.’ He believes this could cause voters to overlook the potential risks of Mamdani’s policies, particularly the economic and governance challenges they may pose for New York City. ‘The other Democratic candidates have to come in here and say,